BOOMSLANGS AND THEIR HABITS. 



151 



Once a Boomslang seizes its prey, it is loth to let go. Holding 

 on, it makes no effort to swallow or constrict its victim. It 



Fig. 63. — A female Boomslang dissected to show how the eggs 

 lie. These eggs are fully developed, and were being laid when 

 the snake was killed to obtain this picture. The shapeless- 

 looking white substance about the eggs is fatty tissue. 



knows only too well the power of the fluid which is distilled by 

 the glands in its head. It is well aware that the venom wll rapidly 

 reduce the struggling prey to a limp, dead mass, easy to swallow. 

 These snakes may often be surprised on the ground hunting 

 for prey or sunning themselves on a dry exposed bank or patch 



